Feed mechanism for superposed strips



Jan. 8, 1957 J. LACH FEED MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED STRIPS 4 She'eas-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1953 Jan. 8, 1957 J. LACH 2,776,832

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J. LACH FEED MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED STRIPS Jan. 8, 1957 Filed Sept. 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 A f C Q A J 4 mmE Jan. 8, 1957 J. LACH 2,776,832

- FEED MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED STRIPS Filed Sept. 14, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE. 5

! .3 l1 ,1 l 7%m d nited States Patent FEED MECHANISM FOR SUPERPOSED STRIPS John Lach, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Uarco, Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Application September 14, 1953, Serial No. 380,032

4 Claims. (Cl. 271--2.3)

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for feeding superposed strips in the assembly of continuousform stationery and more particularly to a device for feeding one-time carbon strips in alignment to a crossperforating station.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strip feeding device capable of feeding a plurality of superposed strips without slippage between the strips.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strip feeding device which maintains more than a pair of superposed strips in alignment while contacting only the outermost strips.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strip feeder maintaining gripping control of superposed strips over a considerable length of the strips to avoid slipping and misalignment.

Jensen Patent No. 2,625,391 issued January 13, 1953, discloses an apparatus for interleaving stationery strips and one-time carbon strips. The assembled continuousform stationery is provided with marginal feed holes which pass through both stationery and carbon strips.

The stationery is preferably punched on the cylinder presses. The carbon strips come in rolls which are fed through a punch mechanism and then to drums which place cross lines of weakening between form lengths, after which the carbon strips are interleaved with the stationerystrips. The present invention is concerned with the feeding mechanism for the carbon strips which maintains superposed strips in alignment so that the cross line of weakening will be properly positioned in each of the carbon strips.

The previous apparatus for feeding carbon strips has included a pair of feed rolls capable of handling not more than two carbon strips. It is often desirable to interleave more than two carbon strips in stationery so that a plu rality of pairs of feed rolls were necessary. The present invention provides a drive that can feed more than two carbon strips in superposed relationship while maintaining proper alignment without slippage between the strips.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is il lustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of an interleaving apparatus embodying the invention herein;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan View of the feeding mechanism of this invention as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the feeding mechanism taken substantially along line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along line 44 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional r, Ice

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical view partly in section of the carrier illustrated in Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view through the pair and cushion taken substantially along line 9-9 in Figure 8.

The complete apparatus for interleaving the one-time carbon strips with stationery strips is diagrammatically illustrated in the Jenson patent referred to above. The portion of the apparatus illustrated is that concerned with the feeding of the carbon strips through the punch placing marginal perforations in the carbon paper and the ap# paratus for placing the cross lines of weakening between form lengths. In Figure 1, the frame 10 of the apparatus supports tensioning rolls generally indicated 11 through which carbon strips 12 are pulled to a punch mechanism 13 from rolls of carbon paper (not shown). The carbon strips may pass over idler rolls 14 and 15 through a feeding device or mechanism generally indicated 16 from which they will pass downwardly along the dotted line path 17 in the direction of the adjacent arrows. Suitable gearing for driving the mechanism of the feeder is provided and in the view of Figure 1, a large gear 18 is in mesh with a slightly smaller gear 19, each of which is mounted respectively on shafts 20 and 21 journaled in the frame of the apparatus. These shafts 20 and 21 support respectively a drum 22 over which the carbon strips 12 pass and receive cross lines of weakening on another drum 23 supported on the shaft 21.

The present invention is particularly concerned with the drive mechanism 16 which is a Caterpillar tread unit passing over the drum 22. This unit has a pair of side bar frame members 24 and 25 which support a pair of axles 26 and 27. Endless carriers in the form of chains 28 and 29 each pass over sprockets 30 and 31 respectively journaled on the axles. The chains are formed of the links 32 with each link 32 supporting an L-shaped bracket 33 upon which is mounted a bar 34 by means of bolts 35. The bar member extends from one endless carrier to the other and generally is of greater length than the length of the drum 22 with which itis associated. Each bar member is provided with a rubber-like cushion 36 extending substantially along its entire length and facing outwardly from the channel 37 formed in the bar member so that the cushion contacts the surface of the drum or the carbon strips 12 which are passing over the drum.

The Caterpillar tread unit is mounted in the frame 10 on ways extending vertically above the drum 22. Each side frame member 24, 25, has a pair of vertically extending guides 38 and 39, the latter having teeth comprising a rack. These guides are held tightly to the frames 24 and 25 of the tread unit and slide respectively against ways 40 and 41 mounted on the frame 10. Near the top of the way 41 is mounted a pinion 42 in mesh with the rack teeth of guide 39 and mounted on a shaft 43 which extends across the apparatus and is journaled in the upwardly extending frame portions 10a and 10b at either side of the apparatus. The guide 39 is mounted centrally of the tread unit and one is provided at each side of the unit so that the rack and pinion may simultaneously move both sides of the tread unit toward or away from the drum 22. l

The endless carriers or chains are longer than the shortest path around the sprockets so that the lower run of the tread unit may be positioned downwardly against the surface of the drum and a plurality of the spaced bar members may be in contact with the surface of the drum.

Brake 47 of usual form is used to hold the rack and pinion in any position to which it has been moved.

The surface speed of the tread unit and the surface speed of the drum 22 are carefully and accurately timed so that they are the same. This is accomplished through the driving mechanism illustrated in Figure ,1 which includes a gear train driven from the main drive of, the apparatus and connected both to the drum and the tread unit. This connection is through gears48, 49 and 50 to a chain drive 51 connected to one of the axles of the tread unit. Slack is taken up in the chain drive 51 by the usual spring pressed idler 52. Gears 18 and 19 which are mounted on the shaft of drums 22 and 23 are connected with the gear train described so that the timed relation may be easily obtained.

As illustrated in Figure 3, the cross perforations are performed by cutting members 53 on the surface of drum 23, and the cross perforations are placed in the carbon paper shortly after it leaves the contact between the tread unit and drum 22. The alignment of the carbon strips is maintained and, for example, if three or four strips are superposed, the pressure between the tread unit and drum is sutficient to maintain this alignment.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim: 1

1. In an interleaver for stationery and carbon strips, a strip feeder for advancing superposed carbon strips without slippage therebetween, comprising: a frame; a feeding drum journaled in the frame in the path of advancing superposed carbon strips; a Caterpillar tread unit mounted in the frame with a portion of the tread passing over a substantial curved portion of the feeding drum; said tread unit having a pair of endless carriers and a plurality of spaced parallel bar members supported upon the endless carriers and extending axially of the drum, each bar member having a resilient portion for yieldingly engaging and clamping the superposed strips tightly against an opposed portion of the drum; and means for driving said tread unit and drum at the same surface speed so that the cooperating clamping portions of the bar memhers and the drum are advanced in unison to obviate slippage between the superposcd carbon strips.

2. A strip feeder as specified in claim 1 wherein, each bar member is provided with an elongated rubber-like cushion for engaging the strips.

3. A feeding device for advancing superposed carbon strips comprising: a framehaving upright parallel portions; a feeding drums journaled in said frame portions in the path of advancing superposed carbon strips; ways onsaid frame extending upwardly from said drum; a Caterpillar tread unit movably mounted in said ways with a portion of the tread passing over a substantial curved surface portion of the feeding drum; said tread unit having a pair of endless carriers and a plurality of spaced parallel bar members supported upon the endless carriers and extending axially of the drum, each bar member having an outwardly facing channel; a resilient, deformable cushion mounted in the channel of each bar member for yieldingly engaging and clamping the superposed strips tightly against an opposed portion of the drum at the same surface speed so that the cooperating clamping portions-of the cushions and the drum are advanced in unison to obviate slippage between superposed carbon strips.

4. A feeding device as specified in claim 3 wherein, the endless carriers are loosely mounted on spaced sprockets and have a lower run carrying the bars and cushions upwardly over the drum maintaining a number of the cushions against the strips and drum at spaced positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,754 Putnam July 28, 1936 2,245,343 Hunting June 10, 1941 2,265,466 Winter Dec. 9, 1941 2,345,656 Calleson et al. Apr. 4, 1944 2,369,089 Thomas Feb. 6, 1945 2,593,148 Huck Apr. 15, 1952 2,607,470 Solem Aug. 19, 1952 2,625,391 Ienson Jan. 13, 1953 2,630,618 Sewell Mar. 10, 1953 2,667,386 Mathisen Jan. 26, 1954 

